built a wall, leaving an empty space between ;" * they had also built a spacious house and a chapel on'the west of the kiblah. He pulled down the wall, covered the mihrab with marble, thoroughly cleansed the place, and supplied it with lamps, costly carpets, and other furniture. The Sultan Nûr-ed-din had himself resolved upon the conquest of Jerusalem, but the expedition was prevented by his sudden death. Ho had ordered a magnificent pulpit (minibar) to be executed by a celebrated artist at Aleppo, intending to present it to the mosque ; this Saladin sent for and placed in the Jami' el Aksa, where it remains to the present day, and forms one of the principal objects of attraction to the visitor, being one of the most exquisite pieces of carved wood-work in the world. Both the Cubbet es Sakhrah and El Aksa were furnished by the Sultan with copies of the Coran, doubtless from the celebrated library at Damascus, the remains of which are
preserved in the little dome (called Cubbet el Kutub) in the Jâmi' el Omawiyeh of that city.
The princes of Saladin's family personally assisted in the work of restoration and purification, and it is related that El Melik el Muzaffar himself headed the attendants
oratories, mosques, minarets, &c. 2. That all these were built by
'Abel el Melik (see p. 77), and that the Cubbet es Sakhrah is only
mentioned more specially than the other buildings erected by that
prince because of its magnificent proportions and the peculiar
sanctity of the spot it covers. 3. That the Cubbet es Sakhrah is
only a supplementary building (see p. 83). 4. That when the
pulpit, the " kiblah," &c, of the Masjid el Aksa is spoken of it must
always be referred to that of the Jâmi' el Aksa ; just as when speak
ing of the chancel of an English cathedral we should mean that of
the main building, and not that of the lady chapel,, and still less of
any oratory, however large, that might exist in another part of the
close. The account in the text is taken from Mejir-ed-di'n. The
inscription recording Saladin's restorations may still be seen in
letters of gold over the mihrab of the Jâmi' el Aksa.
, * Some say it had been even turned into a latrina.

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